During his 14-year NFL career, Tony Romo collected over $125 million from the Dallas Cowboys, according to Spotrac. In his post-playing role as Jim Nantz's right-hand man on CBS broadcasts of the NFL, Romo could ultimately surpass the total salary he collected as a quarterback.
Romo retired after the 2016 season, immediately entering the broadcast booth. The four-time Pro Bowler was such an instant success as a color commentator that he was able to command a $17 million salary in a new contract that he signed prior to the 2020 campaign. The deal could last for as long as a decade.
With Romo having wrapped up his 2022-23 slate of games by serving as the game analyst for the AFC Championship Game, his estimated net worth is $70 million. Eventually he'll probably crack our list of the wealthiest current or former NFL players, but he's not there yet. Here, courtesy of Celebrity Net Worth, are the 12 wealthiest current or former NFL stars:
10. John Elway Net Worth: $145 Million
John Elway spent his entire career with the Broncos.
(Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Elway made north of $45 million during his illustrious playing career, and has parlayed that into quite a second act. From 2011-2020, Elway was the general manager for the Denver Broncos, helping the team to sign Peyton Manning and ultimately win Super Bowl 50. He's now moved into a role as the president of football operations. As Celebrity Net Worth notes, he actually made nearly double his total NFL salary when he sold his car dealerships for $82.5 million in 1997.
9. Joe Montana Net Worth: $150 Million
Joe Montana is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
(Otto Gruele Jr/Allsport/Getty Images)
Montana is believed to have made about $25.5 million in his decade-and-a-half in the NFL, only sightly more than what Philip Rivers collected in his final NFL season with the Indianapolis Colts. Still, Montana owns a ranch with more than 500 acres in Calistoga, California, and has endorsed both Skechers and Guinness, among other major companies. Joe should be cool with his financial standing.
7 (tie). Eli Manning Net Worth: $160 Million
Eli Manning spent his entire career with the Giants.
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
For being the little brother, Eli has done alright for himself. Spotrac estimates that during Manning's 16 seasons as a member of the New York Giants, he made $252.3 million. Though he maybe didn't have the most endorsements in his own household, Forbes reminds us that Manning has worked with Nike, Hublot, Toyota Motor, Visa, DirecTV and Gatorade in the past.
7 (tie). Drew Brees Net Worth: $160 Million
Drew Brees is one of the great quarterbacks in NFL history.
(Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Brees collected nearly $270 million in a record-setting career spent with the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints. He spent just one year working at NBC post retirement, but there's no doubt that the 13-time Pro Bowler will have plenty of lucrative employment opportunities as the years go on.
6. Russell Wilson Net Worth: $165 Million
Russell Wilson is one of the richest players in NFL history.
(Elsa/Getty Images
OK, so Wilson's first seasons with the Denver Broncos was a disaster. However, before he played a game with the team, Wilson agreed to a new five-year/$242.6 million deal that guarantees him $161 million. Spotrac estimates that the 34-year-old has already made nearly $240 million in his playing career. Wilson's wife, singer Ciara, is also worth $20 million.
5. Aaron Rodgers Net Worth: $200 Million
Aaron Rodgers has spent his entire career with the Packers.
(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Now 39, Rodgers has earned over $305 million as a player, which is to be expected when you've won four NFL MVP Awards. Like his predecessor, Rodgers has done extremely well in the endorsement department, with State Farm and Bose among his most notable deals. Additionally, Rodgers - who guest-hosted Jeopardy a couple offseasons ago - figures to do extremely well in whatever he chooses to focus on after his Hall of Fame career.
4. Steve Young Net Worth: $200 Million
Steve Young is perhaps the greatest left-handed quarterback ever.
(Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Young did quite alright financially during his playing career, collecting nearly $50 million. Despite putting together a Hall of Fame career on the field, Young has found even more success financially since retiring after the 1999 season. In addition to working as an analyst for ESPN, Celebrity Net Worth also notes that Young, 61, is the managing director for the equity firm Huntsman Gay Global Capital, which he's a co-founder of.
2 (Tie). Tom Brady Net Worth: $250 Million
Tom Brady is the most accomplished player in NFL history.
(Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
In 23 seasons with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady won seven Super Bowl titles, more than any individual franchise in league history. In addition to endorsement deals with companies like Under Armour, Brady has founded his own lifestyle brand, TB12. On top of all of that, Brady has earned over $292 million in his NFL career. Having recently retired, Brady plans to take the 2023 NFL season off and begin his 10-year/$375 million deal to be FOX's No. 1 game analyst in 2024.
2 (Tie). Peyton Manning Net Worth: $250 Million
Peyton Manning spent the majority of his NFL career with the Colts.
(Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
What's there to say? For a 15-year stretch, it felt like Manning won the NFL MVP every season and was on two out of every three commercials. Even more than a half decade after he last played in the NFL, Manning remains a pretty constant presence on commercials during the fall. Manning, who won an NFL record five MVP awards, made just shy of $250 million as a player. His "Manningcast" with his brother Eli on ESPN 2 has drawn a pretty committed niche audience over the past two seasons.
1. Roger Staubach: $600 Million
Roger Staubach has made a tremendous amount of money since his NFL career concluded.
(Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Staubach tops this list, but it comes with a caveat - his post-career earnings trounce what he made as the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s. After founding his own real estate company late in his playing career, Staubach sold it for more than $600 million in 2008. Now 81, Staubach is believed to be the wealthiest current or former NFL player of all time.
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